A former Transport for NSW manager, now wanted by authorities, allegedly orchestrated millions of dollars in corrupt payments and was captured in WhatsApp messages boasting, “I am richer haha,” following a $150,000 cryptocurrency transfer, a corruption inquiry has been told.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating Ibrahim Helmy, 38, who is accused of accepting approximately $11.5 million in illicit payments, including cryptocurrency, cash, and gold. Helmy is currently evading law enforcement after failing to appear before ICAC in May. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Evidence presented this week includes phone logs, emails, and messaging app exchanges from 2021, which show Helmy guiding Protection Barriers director Meshel Chellew through cryptocurrency transfers from the company’s account to one he ultimately benefited from. Chellew testified that Helmy provided detailed instructions—often over the phone and via screenshots—on how to execute the transactions, which sometimes reached up to $150,000 each.
During one exchange, Helmy confirmed a transfer had gone through by messaging, “I am richer haha.”
Chellew told the inquiry she was unfamiliar with cryptocurrency and relied entirely on Helmy’s guidance. She said their first interaction occurred in March 2021, after her husband, Jason Chellew, told her she would receive a call about setting up an account. “I didn’t even know what Independent Reserve was,” she said, referring to the crypto exchange Helmy instructed her to use.
At the time, she claimed she was unaware the funds were being transferred into accounts controlled by Helmy. It wasn’t until later—during an argument with her husband—that she realized Helmy was the beneficiary. She recalled her husband saying they could lose valuable contracts with Transport for NSW if the transfers didn’t continue.
ICAC alleges Helmy received nearly $9 million in cryptocurrency from Jason Chellew between 2021 and 2024, along with $227,000 in cash (2020–2021) and $60,000 in gold bullion in 2023.
Counsel assisting the inquiry, Rob Ranken SC, pressed Meshel Chellew on whether she recognized notations marked “IH” on bank statements as being linked to Helmy. She responded ambiguously, saying, “It could be, or it could not be,” when shown multiple 2020 transactions referencing those initials.
Ranken suggested that she had been more aware than she claimed of Protection Barriers making payments—both cash and crypto—to Helmy to secure government work. “Not at the start but eventually yes,” she conceded.
By 2021, contracts with Transport for NSW made up the majority of Protection Barriers’ business, whereas previously it had relied primarily on private-sector projects.
The inquiry also examined the couple’s lifestyle, which appeared to rise dramatically in tandem with the alleged scheme. They acquired two Bentley luxury cars in 2024, each worth around $500,000. However, Meshel Chellew attempted to downplay their significance, saying, “We always had a new vehicle almost every year.”
During raids last September, the NSW Crime Commission seized both Bentleys, alongside assets valued in the millions. These included $735,000 in cryptocurrency, a Lexus valued at $160,000, multiple properties across NSW and Queensland estimated at $15 million, and gold bullion.
Authorities also confiscated assets from Helmy’s home, including $12,317 in cash, a Maserati, $413,000 worth of crypto, and roughly $8 million in digital currency stored in a Binance account registered under his sister’s name.
The ICAC inquiry remains ongoing as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest Helmy.
